


Iron and Glass

by Universe of Prince (PrinceThomas)



Series: Tales of Amatina [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, Human/Monster Romance, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27606599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceThomas/pseuds/Universe%20of%20Prince
Summary: A man was told he might never love again, but apparently one man made of glass didn’t get the memo.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Tales of Amatina [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001451
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Iron and Glass

There was once a witch who needed more help with her tasks then she could handle by herself. So, she said to turn her failed experiments of animating magic into consciousness into her own personal servants. No desires, no will to pursue anything, no soul. Essentially, her servants were just dolls that moved.

Except for one.

The witch found her most recent doll, a man made from glass-like crystal, to be humming in harmony to the sound of his delicately jointed fingers plucking her violin. Immediately, the witch packed a bag with a map, money, a small stash of food, just in case the doll needed to eat – if her conscious doll actually needed to eat in the first place-and relieved him of his servitude. “Go my dear, I know you are destined to be beyond my house in the woods.” She assured him with a warm smile.

“B–but mistress, I am ugly! All of your visitors joke and jab at me! Also, I have no eyes! That will surely cause quite a stir with humans and such!” The doll exclaimed in a worrisome tone.

Within mere moments of the witch’s wand being visible, the doll’s skin gleamed with an iridescent shine of his new pale blue tone. The doll fluttered his newfound sky blue eyes shut in disbelief. The Glassman turned the mirror behind him to see a full head of caramel locks as soft and as fluffy as a spoiled housecat’s upon his head!

“Thank you kindly mistress, but I have to bother you once more.“ The doll said. “I am aware that physically speaking, I am nothing but a mirror manequin, but I did notice that humans have a tendency to wear clothes.“

“Of course, of course.” The witch rolled her eyes teasingly as her magic clothed her creation. “Better?” She asked.

“Yes, thank you mistress.” The doll assured.

With a few goodbyes and a few tears shed, the glass man named himself Gilbert Glasslow, and set off to begin his life.

  
  


Not even five minutes past before loud and panicked knocking startled the witch. A boy, no older than 20, was rushed to her healing table. A sharp, pointed branch made a mess of blood from where it protruded out of his chest. She said it would only take a moment to fix.

Well, a moment turned to hours.

Hours turned to an entire day.

Once the man was able to sit upright, walk, and talk, the witch hugged him with tears in her green eyes. “I-I’m so sorry.” She sniffled. “The branch broke your heart, I had no choice but to replace it with iron… you might never be able to love again.“

The hunter, who turned out to be 19 years old, patted the witch’s back softly. “‘Es okay, nobody er nothin' loved me anyways.” He said as the witch cried harder into the man’s chest, right above the iron heart shaped case over where his heart was. “I’ll be fine.“

When the hunter finally left the hut to go back to his home on the outskirts of MauveVillage, he murmured aloud to nobody in particular. “Never love again ye say? That ought’ta be interestin’.”

  
  


That day, Gilbert had found a heart, while the hunter Daltres lost one.

  
  


Two years went by for the men. Gilbert became a prominent actor in Marytown and Mauve Village, his sweet voice and delicate movements enraptured the hearts of all who watched him. Daltres on the other hand, lived the same day over and over again. Eat, hunt, work, sell, bar, sleep. 

“Listen Micah, I cant have tea today, my director is insane!” Gilbert complained to his friend, who nodded in agreement. “He thinks because I’m not human, he can work me to my nonexistent bones!” He ranted as his light and delicate feet stormed towards the Cedar Theater. “Talk to you later, Micah. It’s always a pleasure.” Gilbert sighed as his watch sadistically reminded him that it was 5:43 in the morning. Gilbert rarely had a scowl off of a stage performance, but today was apparently different.

Of course.

_Of. Course._

Mister ‘Be here by 6AM sharp!’ was to arrive at 7:30. Gilbert thanked the stagehand through gritted teeth. He wanted to scream, to burn the curtains, and to especially kill that blasted Mister Kermes! Instead, he pinned a note to his dressing room door.

_“If you can have the gall to be here at 7:30 when we are all supposed to arrive earlier, then I can have the gall to show up whenever I want.”_

With that, Gilbert stormed off into the forest not fifty yards away, ranting and cursing flowers to wilt as he went.

On the other hand, Daltres was mere seconds away from securing a nice rabbit for his hunting stall in town. His bow’s string begged to be released, but Daltres waited for the perfect shot, quick and painlessly lethal. It took less than a second for the arrow to shoot and cut through the air, and even less time for the rabbit to fall dead. Daltres rushed to the animal quickly and removed his arrow to clean the blood off and check the rabbit.

Seeing that it was thoroughly put to rest, Daltres put the rabbit into a rag, all tied up tightly, before he threw it into his bag of various meats. Everything was as it should.

That is, until Daltres heard singing. Nobody sang in the forest. Not satyrs, not pixies, not maidens or lost princesses sang in the Water Guardian’s woods. Daltres gathered his things quickly and watched where his feet landed with every step going towards the singing. Was it a siren in a pond?... no, there were no ponds or lakes nearby this area. No siren would be dumb enough to settle in a water source that close to humans.

The singing became progressively louder and clearer as Daltres figured out the person was right in the clearing, only obscured by a large tree, where Daltres took refuge. The hunter only caught a quick glance at the man, but what he saw thoroughly perplexed him!

The song continued on, in a tune much akin to a fair in Scarlet-bough. The melody repeated, but the words were sweet.

_When will she return to me? From ages and ages ago?_

_She went to town, left me to drown_

_Not keeping our vows to hold_

The person? Wait, no- man? Glass? Pixie? Well, whatever it was, it acted out the words as well. 

_She said to never worry, that she’d be back by ten!_

_But years had past, and at long last_

_She was never back again!_

The _creature_ flitted around and played to the perceived non-existent crowd as he 

sung. The tune stayed as light as the creature’s voice sounded as if it was secretly sad.

_My darling, sweet and lovely,_

_My angel, my reason to be!_

_My heart did stop, and I did drop_

_To the bottom of the sea_

Daltres finally gathered enough of his wits to actually take more than a fleeting glance at the man. The hunter’s eyes shot wide open as his body recoiled. The man… it wasn’t just a pale blue complexion. He was made of stained glass. The sharp, delicate features of the performer were accentuated by the shining light that reflected off of his skin faintly.

Yes, Daltres had met a few magical folk in his time. Satyr, forest guardians, centaurs, one especially hotheaded water spirit and whatnot, but that was entirely new! Could he have been from the mountains as a fighter scout, ready to invade? No, he was far too cute and soft-looking to be that-

Wait, no. Not cute.

“Nice set’a pipes ya got in there.”

It probably would have helped for Daltres to come out from behind the tree before he shouted praise.

Gilbert shrieked and fell to the ground in fright as he took out his small dagger fearfully. His body violently shook as his distraught eyes swept over the forest, before they finally settled on the giant tree not thirty feet from him.

“Wh-who’s there?!”

Daltres emerged with his hands up in mock-surrender to Gilbert. “‘Es alright glassman, I ain’t gonna hurt’cha.” He said calmly, which did nothing to soothe the glassman’s nerves. In fact, it only made Gilbert scramble backwards awkwardly with rising anxiety.

“Please! I’ll give you anything you want!” Gilbert pleaded. “I won’t make a fuss or cause problems!” 

Daltres crouched down and undid his hatchet’s belt and laid down his quiver of arrows. “See? I’m takin’ off the weapons, yeah? Off it goes.” He narrated calmly. “I swear I ain’t gonna touch ye either.” Daltres took the rare opportunity of being close to the ground to sit down, the funny part being that he was a generous few inches above six feet tall. 

Gilbert looked at the unfamiliar man over quickly. Clearly a hunter, rough and tough appearance, prominent onyx hair that looked like it had never heard the definition of a brush, piercing golden eyes-

“Um- well, you promise? Because I really would-eh, um-cooperate if this was a shakedown!” Gilbert squeaked shyly.

“As true as I breathe, dollface.” Daltres swore solemnly.

With a small, sheepish giggle, Gilbert extended his hand timidly as the trembling arm disrupted Gilbert’s soft shirt sleeve. “I’m well- I’m Gilbert Glasslow, an actor, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Daltres Phoenix, pleasure’s all mine, doll.”

A silence fell as both men teetered on the edge of breaking the tension.

“Sorry I up n’ spooked ye, didn’t mean’ta.” Daltres apologized.

“Oh! No need! I just am terribly jumpy, with me being glass and all, if I’m not careful I have to drag my cracked self back to my creator!” Gilbert laughed. “Although, did you really like my singing?”

“Why would I lie?”

Gilbert covered his mouth as he laughed, if only to hide his telling incandescent blush. Daltres shook his head as he let out a chuckle in pure affection and infatuation. The men honestly just sat there and made fun of the absurdity of their meeting for what felt like hours! 

“Listen, if you’re ever ‘round, check out Casey’s bar. I’m there every other day basically. I… I wouldn’t mind catchin’ a drink or two with ye.” 

“Ah, I can’t! I’m sorry!” Gilbert apologized sweetly. “I have a performance in a week and intensive rehearsals that go until very late!... but um, if-if you’re interested in seeing me sooner, you can-uh, you can come over to the Cedar Theatre and ask for me!”

Before Daltres could heartily and eagerly accept, Gilbert’s clock chimed 8. “Oh goodness! Mister Kermes is going to kill me!” He exclaimed before he looked at Daltres apologetically. “Sorry about cutting this short, Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome!”

With that, Gilbert picked up his script from a nearby rock and dashed through the woods with the agility and grace of a doe. Daltres’ heart felt heavy, so he looked down. The iron was not the rough iron grey it had been for two years anymore. It was a metallic rose pink. With a love-stricken sigh, Daltres picked up his hatchet and quiver before he made the trek back to his home.

The iron hunter’s heart melted for the dainty glass doll.


End file.
